Since Rodrigo Duterte took office as the president of the Philippines, 43 union members and officials have been killed in the country. The systematic violence against union activists, local leaders, journalists and human rights activists is justified by Duterte’s ‘war on drugs’. Those targeted are accused of being ‘terrorists’ or ‘communists’. Among the 18 organisations recently classified as a ‘communist terror group’ is the National Council of the Churches in the Philippines (NCCP).

The EU’s foreign and security policy seeks to ‘develop and consolidate democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights & fundamental freedoms.’ At the same time, EU Member States such as Spain, Poland, Germany, Belgium and Sweden continue to export arms to the Philippines.

With this in mind, does the VP/HR’s External Action Service (EEAS) intend to take any action to stop the serious deterioration of union rights and human rights in the Philippines?